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PLAN FOR PEST MANAGEMENT NEEDS AND ORDER SUPPLIES

(Deborah Breth dib1@cornell.edu, Lake Ontario Fruit Program, Albion)

Controlling pests and producing quality fruit requires a combination of many observations. We monitor weather conditions, including maximum and minimum daily temperatures, leaf wetness duration, and precipitation. This information is used to detect infection conditions for specific diseases, and keep track of heat units as degree days. This information is used to time scouting activity and specific applications towards insects and diseases. We use insect traps with either food attractants or sex pheromones as lures to detect flight of insect pests. We sample leaves looking for specific population densities of insects and mites. And we keep records of scouting results in each orchard to complete the recordkeeping, and evaluate control results at the end of the season with harvest evaluations and spray records.

Weather equipment

The minimal weather monitoring equipment includes a max-min thermometer and a rain gauge. Be certain to keep the thermometer out of the direct radiation of the sun. Record maximum and minimum temperatures daily and reset the thermometer at the same time every day. This is not adequate information to determine disease infections conditions.

Other weather data collection equipment can be used, but you must maintain this equipment like you maintain your tractor, or better. Hemp strings used for leaf wetness monitoring do wear out and stop responding to rainfall — and must be replaced. Check with the manufacturer of the weather equipment to be sure it is accurately calibrated.

Insect traps and lures:

Trapping insects is not usually done to determine if a pest population is significant, but rather when it must be monitored or controlled. For some pests we use the first trap catch date as the "biofix", the starting point to accumulate heat units or degree days. With many pests we follow up the trap catch with a scouting session to assess the pest level. Trap types and placement in an around the orchard are critical.

The basic traps recommended for IPM programs in apples are used to monitor pests including obliquebanded leafroller, codling moth in problem or low-spray blocks, and apple maggot. In peaches, it is important to trap for oriental fruit moth, lesser peachtree borer, and peachtree borer. In apples with dwarfing rootstocks, it is wise to trap for dogwood borer, and, in sites close to run-down cherry and peach blocks, American plum borer. Tarnished plant bug traps have not been useful in determining potential damage in apples. In cherries, it is important to trap for cherry fruit fly.

AM BOARD TRAP

AM VBS TRAP

WING TRAP

What traps? What lures? How many traps do I set? Where do I hang the traps and when? These questions must be answered for each specific pest. You can find the answers in the following table.

Visual Aids:

Scouting requires some visual aids to identify fruit pests and predators and to magnify these small animals. IPM fact sheets are available on the web and in hard copy to help identify fruit pests and predators. To monitor pests and diseases, magnification is necessary for many pests depending on your clarity of vision. Magnification aids include a handlens, 10x and 20x (for rust mites), and a glass binocular magnifier (Donegan OptiVisor (3.5X)). You may need to use a counter so you can scout without losing your count while looking at other things in the orchard. Remember to carry sample bags to collect unknowns for your local fruit specialist. Oh, yes, some say they need an ATV to scout! Have fun!

SPRAYER PREPARATION - PART II

(Andrew Landers ajl31@cornell.edu, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Ithaca)

Air Blast Sprayer Calibration (use clean water)

- Pressure check

Place the pressure gauge on the nozzle fitting farthest away from the pump and turn the sprayer on. If pressure is lower at the nozzle than specified, increase pressure at the regulator.

 

- Nozzle output

- Use a flow meter (obtainable from Gemplers, Spraying Systems, etc.) attached to individual nozzles OR

- Connect hoses to each of the nozzles and measure the flow from each nozzle into a calibrated jug.

Remember: 128 fl. ozs in one gallon. Example: If the output of one nozzle has been measured at 34.5 fl.ozs, then output is divided by 128 = 0.27 GPM in one minute.

Replace all nozzle tips that are more than 10% inaccurate.

Travel Speed Calibration

Travel speed is a critical factor in maintaining accurate application rates and will influence spray deposition depending on location within the canopy. The slower a sprayer travels, the greater the uniformity in spray deposition. Although there is inconsistency in research results that try to determine the effect of travel speed on average spray deposition, all studies to date have been in agreement that the higher the travel speed, the greater the variability in spray deposit. Variation in spray deposit is an important factor where uniformity of spray coverage throughout the canopy is required. Conclusions from research were drawn using travel speeds of 1–4 mph.

Factors that will affect travel speed include:

- weight of sprayer to be pulled

- slope of terrain

- ground conditions traveled over (wheel slippage!)

The best way to measure travel speed is to pull a sprayer with tank half filled with water on the same type of terrain that the sprayer will be operated on.

Set up test course at least 100 feet long, measure the course with a tape measure. Do not pace the distance. The longer the course the smaller the margin of error. Run the course in both directions.

Use an accurate stop watch to check the time required to travel the course in each direction. Average the two runs and use the following formula to calculate the speed in MPH.

Your figures:

Tractor gear _________ Engine revs.___________

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